This Stanford University study surveyed the leading research on virtual agents and suggests that "social intelligence in automated interactions is good business.

Research about interactive characters suggests substantial opportunities for them to
enhance online experiences.

The Major Points:
(1) Human-Media Interactions Are Fundamentally Social
(2) Character Interfaces Bring Social Intelligence to Online Interactions

Ten Benefits of Character Interfaces
1. Characters make explicit the social responses that are inevitable.
2. Interactive characters are perceived as real social actors
3. Interactivity increases the perceived realism and effectiveness of characters
4. Interactive characters increase trust in information sources
5. Characters have personalities that can represent brands
6. Characters can communicate social roles
7. Characters can effectively express and regulate emotions
8. Characters can effectively display important social manners
9. Characters can make interfaces easier to us easier to use
10. Characters are well liked

More detail about the research by Byron Reeves
Center for the Study of Language and Information
Stanford University at http://64.152.122.45/eAgent/CSLI_Stanford_Study.pdf

To experience yourself the best example interactive characters online click on DEMO at: http://futurebiz.productdriven.com

Syed Akram, Independent Affiliate
WEB: http://futurebiz.marketdepo.com
VOICE:+60-1993135977

The research by Byron Reeves
Center for the Study of Language and Information
Stanford University